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180 children died in Georgia last year while under state supervision, report says

18 percent increase could be because of better reporting, state officials say

ATLANTA | One hundred-eighty children died last year while under supervision of the Department of Family and Children Services, or DFCS, according to figured released Friday by the state.

That represents an increase of 28 deaths, or 18 percent, over those reported in 2012, but advocates as well as agency officials caution against drawing immediate conclusions because this year’s report is more comprehensive.

“This data collection improved from year over year, so I wouldn’t draw the conclusion it was that exact percentage in increase,” said Bobby Cagle, the agency’s interim director. “However, in looking at the data, homicides are most definitely our biggest concern. We will be working more closely with law enforcement and also training our staff in better evidence-collection methods. Hopefully, that will help us in containing those deaths.”

Murders increased from 22 in 2012 to 26 in 2013.

Deaths reported as resulting from natural causes rose from 55 to 76, a 38 percent spike.

“It is a major mistake to jump to the conclusion that because a report comes to DFCS [about suspected abuse or neglect] that we have the ability to prevent the death,” Cagle said.

Melissa Carter, director of the Barton Chile Law and Policy Center at Emory University, agrees with that warning, noting that most states are showing similar increases due to better reporting.

“Be careful in drawing these causal connections,” she told members of the Children’s Advocacy Network.

Nearly half of those who died were younger than 12 months old. Most of them were either born prematurely, born with a serious medical condition or both, and 12 never left the hospital. Nearly a quarter died in their sleep from a parent rolling onto them, sudden-infant death syndrome or were smothered by blankets.

To address an overall problem of infant mortality, the Department of Public Health has launched a publicity campaign, set up prenatal classes in local health departments and is forming partnerships with physicians to address pregnant women’s smoking, diet and general health.

State auditors warned last year that social workers were swamped with too many cases, some juggling more than 100 each. The legislature approved hiring 525 new case workers in the fiscal year that began last month, and before the first 175 started the job, Gov. Nathan Deal approved 100 more to bring the total of new caseworkers this year to 625.

Last year, nearly 77,000 notices of suspected neglect and abuse came to DFCS from the public and from professionals, such as doctors and teachers, who are required to report them. More than 54,000 became open cases.

Even with that volume of concern, there were a total of 1,400 child deaths statewide in 2013, meaning that eight out of 10 victims never came to the state’s attention.

The 180 deaths that were included in Friday’s figures included all that were part of families that the agency had had some contact with in the previous five years. Only 42 percent of the deaths were in families with open cases. Often the contact was before the victim was born or maybe because another child in the family wasn’t attending school rather than allegations that the ultimate victim wasn’t safe.

Walter Jones: (404) 589-8424

Terry Dickson: (912) 264-0405

180 children died in Georgia last year while under state supervision, report says- By